


alouette, alouette

by AsFarAsICouldSee



Category: Sleepless Domain (Webcomic)
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Alou (Sylvia's Brother), Ette (Sylvia's Sister), Gen, Manipulation, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Spoilers up to Chapter 2, Sylvia's Agent, chapter 2 spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-01-04 04:32:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18336239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsFarAsICouldSee/pseuds/AsFarAsICouldSee
Summary: TO DO LISTxx-xx-xxxxCheck if Alou finished lunchHelp Ette with homeworkTax filingHairstyle? Look at optionsCall agent backOr: A day in the life of Sylvia Skylark





	1. call agent back

 

  1. **Call agent back.**



 

“Alchemical Air." Louisa Mark’s voice is terse and Sylvia can hear her annoyance.

 

“Less people means more spotlight,” she interjects before they can continue. “Tessa gets all the sponsorships because she’s the leader, right? If she’s not there, we can focus on me. More sponsorships is always good right?”

 

“Are you serious? Alchemical Aether is the leader for a reason. Fight out your little catfight in your own time. We need Alchemical Aether.”

 

Sylvia clenches the phone, nails scratching into the yellow logo on the side. Sponsorships, she thought to herself. Actual sponsorships not just phone companies. “This can be a one time thing. A day in the limelight kind of thing. Mixing it up a little.”

 

If Louisa refuses- No. She can’t back down and beg Tessa for help. Alchemical Air does not back down, she repeats in her head. No backing down.

 

Louisa exhales. “Fine,” she says. Sylvia’s almost ready to let out the breath that she had been holding until it comes. “But,” they continue, and there’s always a but, always another ‘photo op’ or ‘cameo’.

 

“You have to take the Sybil deal”.

 

Sy...bil?

 

“Have you forgotten already? You’re such an airhead.” Louisa sneers and Sylvia can practically see the way her face scrunches up in irritation. Deep breaths. Take deep breaths.

 

“I haven’t forgotten,” she says. “I just thought it was a little… a little more suited for someone older”.

 

Louisa tuts. “Silly Sylvie. Your at the prime of your life right now. Surveys from your fan clubs indicate that they would be willing to pay for a piece of over expensive clothing provided you modeled for it and showed some skin.”

 

Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. You can still back down, a voice in her head whispers. Call Tessa. Tell her you’re sorry- Alchemical Air does not back down. Alchemical Air does not apologize. She repeats the words like a mantra in her head.

 

“-Sylvie. Sylvie.” Louisa’s voice is softened, more gentler all of a sudden.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’ll have them call Tessa if you’re not willing. It’s a shame if you don’t though.

Last quarter you earned 30% less than other teams after all. I think your mother could do with some spare cash, too. She’s trying to get her book published right? That can’t be easy or inexpensive.

I have a lot of connections in the publishing industry. All you have to do is take a few more sponsorships.”

 

Bells tinkle downstairs as the front door opens. “Mom’s home!” a voice announces. “Did you miss her?”

 

Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. “...can you show me the concept photos first?”

 

Footsteps slam down the steps like thunder. “Mom!” cries Ette as she runs past Sylvia’s door. Alou is right behind her, dragging a cardboard box down with him. “Look what I made, Mom!”

 

“Of course. I knew you’d come around”. Louisa’s voice is still soft, candy floss strands instead of hard edged sugar. “It’s easier when we both work together, Sylvia. I’m glad you see that too.”

 


	2. Check if Ette has lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvia checks her siblings lunchboxes, stresses over meal plan, and does not use the cuticle cream even though her nails need it.

There are two lunchboxes sitting on the counter when Sylvia comes downstairs. She stares at them from the bottom of the staircase, eyes narrowing a little at the opaque containers.  _ Please let them both be empty _ , she thinks. It’s been a...frustrating week, and checking her sibling’s lunchboxes to see if they’ve eaten is the last thing that she wants to have to do.

 

Alou’s lunchbox is emptied enough that she can move past it almost immediately. Sylvia breathes a little sigh of relief. It’s a bad thought, but sometimes she wishes that her mother had stopped at her. Alou is fine. There’s a muesli bar wrapper scrunched up in it, and a few apple seeds. Nothing out of the ordinary. Ette though..

 

The pale green lunchbox is closed, lid pressed tightly to container. She lifts it up. Her mouth flattens into a line. It’s too heavy. The lid takes several painful seconds of prying to open, and Sylvia quietly mourns the death of her nails. They’re not doing so great, even without being used as levers. 

 

She needs to apply some of the ointment that Kinney sent her. Later. No one’s going to care that they’re half bitten and scratched up, she tries to tell herself. You have hours to deal with them. Figure out what to do about Ette first. 

 

Sometimes Sylvia wishes that she could be emotional, like Sally. No one thought it was strange or unusual when Sally yelled in frustration, or kicked things in her anger. It was Sally, and she was dealing with her emotions in the way that Sally did. 

 

But Sylvia? Sylvia was always composed, except for when she wasn’t. She was ambitious, driven, would be a good leader, because she was always on time unlike a certain someone-

 

“Why are you talking about yourself in the third person?” 

 

She turns around, nearly dropping the lunchbox. She would have dropped it, if her hands weren’t clenched so tightly around it that her nails hurt. It’s Alou. He’s wearing his pyjamas, and she realises with a pang that it’s seven already. 

 

“Did you have dinner?” she asks instead of answering his question.  _ Your sister’s having a mini breakdown and needs to remind herself of how amazing she is _ , was never a good answer to anything. Even if it applied a lot more often these days. And then, she realises with another pang, that it’s not just regret she’s feeling. It’s hunger. 

 

When was the last time she ate something? Sylvia wracks her memory of the past six hours, as Alou thinks over the answer for far too long. Their answers are the same though.

 

“Kind of”. Alou walks off the stairs and stands next to her. “Mom reheated something when you weren’t there”.

 

“Was it good?” she says to distract herself from the fact that she kind of hasn’t eaten anything since the salad she bought after school. 

 

Alou shrugs. “It was tuna pasta. You made it”. 

 

That’s enough of an answer, because he picks up the half full glass that she’s only just noticed, and goes back up the stairs. 

 

She needs to restock the fridge. The tuna pasta was meant to be for yesterdays yesterday- did no one read the very exact scheduele that she stuck on the fridge? 

 

“Is Mom asleep?” she asks before he disappears from sight. 

 

Alou’s voice is quiet, but the house is quieter. “I can see light under her door, and she said she might be ‘pulling an all nighter’. Sorry”. 

 

She can heat up a quick snack to eat after she handles her nails. 

 

* * *

 

 

The box is nicely packaged and she has to admit that Kinney has decent taste in colors. That doesn’t mean he’s any less of a patronising asshole though.  _ A patronising asshole who’s the only person who you’ve worked with and still talk to _ , a voice whispers. She ignores it. 

 

_ See: Tessa, Undine, Sally and Gwen,  _ she mutters under her breath, a great example of not ignoring it. 

 

There’s a note taped to the box, and it’s embossed. Sylvia runs her fingers back and forth over the raised symbols. It pays to be well off. Especially if you have a trust fund, and model ‘ _ for fun _ ’ and ‘ _ in your spare time _ ’.

 

‘ _ for sylvia _

_ ⸺your nails would look halfway decent if you’d stop biting them. Don’t bother to thank me and use this (the pale blue container, in case you get confused) to do something about it. If you really want to, you can thank me by bringing your ‘homemade’ kale salad in two weeks time. _

 

_ Also, surprised to hear that you’ve agreed to the Sybil deal. Not to be judgemental, but it’s a different bird of feather to what you normally do. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It would be weird of me to imply that, especially since I'll also be doing it.  _

_ But probably for a different line, because as much as I think I’d look stunning in a Sybil floor length evening gown, my agent thinks, I quote ‘you’ve gone insane. Take the whatever [paraphrased] deal, and stop talking’.  _

 

_ Anyway, if it goes well (or more likely if your agent thinks the results are good), everyone else who’s already on board for the next line that Sybil’s releasing, is boring. You’d look better in double breasted coat than any one of them.  _

 

_ Don’t misinterpret that line. You’re one of the only people who are strangely wired enough to not fall for my devestating charm, and let’s hope it stays that way.  _

 

It’s unsigned, but Kinney doesn’t need to sign his letters. His abrasive personality leaks through the words enough that Sylvia could tell almost immediately. She thinks about scrunching it up and telling him that she didn’t even read it, but unsticks the note and places it in a box full of papers and reciepts instead. She’ll still tell him that she didn’t read it anyway.

 

Kinney was irritating and passive-agressive, but they were one of the nicer people that she could’ve worked with. 

 

She checks the clock. 8pm. She still has time. She wears gloves anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. She has time. Two hours is time. The cuticle cream takes less than ten minutes to unscrew the glass lid and apply. Maybe fifteen? It’s 8:06 now. She can apply it later. Afterwards. Maybe tomorrow morning? 

 

Her nails have survived so far without Kinney’s conscending concern, and they can wait another day. She needs to...update afterall. Update the...meal plan. Yes. She needs to update the meal plan so that everyone can go back to following it carefully, and no one needs to worry about what meal to reheat on what day. She can probably fit in some emergency cooking tomorrow too. After she finishes the hairstyle meeting that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE AUTHOR IS ALIVE. Everytime I get used to college, things happen and it feels a little too much. But don’t worry because I still have a few months left until everything I’m signed up for catches up to me and I go through Everything Burnout again.

**Author's Note:**

> if you've read past chapter two you know what's going to happen. I'm not sure about what direction this fic is going to go, but I have more chapters. It depends on the feedback I guess. Thank you for reading, and leave a kudo on your way out if you enjoyed it!


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